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| Phil. 3:13-16 |
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Lesson # Phil. 3:13-16 Study Material - Phil. 3:13-16 You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth. Phil. 3:13-16 13 Brethren [adelphos], I [ego] count [logizomai] not [ou] myself [emautou] to have apprehended [katalambano]: but [de] this one thing [heis] I do, forgetting [epilanthanomai] those things [men] which are behind [opiso], and [de] reaching forth unto [epekteinomai] those things which are before [emprosthen], 14 I press [dioko] toward [kata] the mark [skopos] for [epi] the prize [brabeion] of the high [ano] calling [klesis] of God [theos] in [en] Christ [Christos] Jesus [Iesous]. 15 Let [phroneo] us therefore [oun], as many as [hosos] be perfect [teleios], be [phroneo] thus [touto] minded [phroneo]: and [kai] if in any thing [ei tis] ye be [phroneo] otherwise [heteros] minded [phroneo], God [theos] shall reveal [apokalupto] even [kai] this [touto] unto you [humin]. 16 Nevertheless [plen], whereto [eis] [hos] we have already attained [phthano], let us walk [stoicheo] by the same [autos] rule [kanon], let us mind [phroneo] the same thing [autos]. KJV-Interlinear 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; 16 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. NASB Paul has not attained maturity because he had a set back sometime earlier. His calling was to the gentiles, not the Jews. God had instructed him to go to the gentiles and preach to them, but Paul had a yearning to go back to Jerusalem and reconcile himself with them. To his dismay, the Jews there plotted to kill him first, having had him arrested on trumped up charges, but then his hearing kept getting delayed and transferred until he finally appealed to Caesar. This appeal sent him to Rome, and he has remained in prison, or house arrest ever since. Paul ignored his calling and set off on his own. Paul got himself into trouble. But God turned all of this into blessing for our sake. While Paul was traveling, he was teaching and not writing. God obviously wanted him to write, so into prison he went and now he had more than enough time to write the letters which we now have in the New Testament. In prison, Paul was recovering his prior spiritual growth, which he had lost from his own stubborn desire to do something else. Paul tried to define his own ministry, and this was overruled by God. We all make mistakes in our life. We all have done things we should not have done. We have all not done things that we should have done. Sometimes we pay a dear price for those mistakes. But our escape from our own stupid decisions, or even from the circumstances that this world has cast upon us, is Bible doctrine. God is able to do anything. Nothing is impossible for God. No matter what you have done or have not done, God can correct the error and get yo back on your feet. But you have to learn one important principle of life - Forget the past! Whatever your mistakes have been, whatever your sins have been, confess them to God the Father as you should in your fellowship prayer - and then forget them, don't look back. They are water over the dam and they can't be undone. They are gone. Do not get caught up in guilt either. Guilt is a sin by the way, so confess it and forget that too. They key to stabilized fellowship is, forgetting the sins and moving forward. No one ever got to their goals by undoing all that they had accomplished. To achieve a goal, you have to keep advancing toward it. So what is our goal in the Christian life? Spiritual maturity. There are tremendous blessings waiting for you in this life once you achieve a mature status, and retain it. Paul advanced and then got distracted. He lost ground in his spiritual life, but he recovered. David did the same. Joseph did the same. Abraham did the same. They all advanced to maturity and then lost track of their spiritual lives. They all fell flat on their faces, but they recovered. And that is the key - recovery. So long as you are alive and breathing you can advance to spiritual maturity. Despite our many failures and the many options this world presents to us, there is but one standard for the spiritual life, Bible doctrine. Paul recognizes this and states it. One standard. One goal. One perfection. And it all comes through Bible doctrine and by Bible doctrine. If you ever get distracted and get away from your Bible study, then God will bring it to your attention. He will hammer you gently at first, then a little harder until he has your attention. Remain stubborn and your misery will increase. Remain positive toward Bible doctrine and your blessings will increase. God has unlimited resources, so your opportunities are unlimited. 'Call to me, and I (God), will answer you and show you great and mighty things.' And in contrast God states in effect, 'remain negative and I (God) will vomit you out'. All of this depends on your attitude toward Bible doctrine. So you do have control over your destiny. You can depend on the flesh - the things of this world and ignore God, and in effect you will be choosing to live in the jungle. A place where there is no safety, no security, no future. Even if you are young and tough now. You won't be a few years from now, that is, if you survive a few years. Or, you can depend on the Word of God, and sit back and let God do all the driving, and enjoy the ride through your life.
Now is the time to post a prayer. End Of Lesson Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth. |
